The higher levies, due to come in from March, will add €180 to the cost of insuring a family of two adults and two children. Funds from the levy mainly go to the State-owned VHI to compensate it for having the lion's share of older, and more expensive, customers.

It is hard to see how the VHI's rivals – Laya, Aviva and GloHealth – will not be forced to load the higher cost of the levies on to their customers.

This is on top of what seems like a never-ending cycle of premium hikes. Only last month Laya raised its premiums, with most going up by 13pc.